Phillip Crawford, John Gallagher, James Sibley race for Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge could run into the fall

SANTA CRUZ -- Three candidates for one seat on the Santa Cruz County Superior Court bench are pounding the pavement to meet voters and drum up support, but the race for judge may stretch into the fall if one of the three doesn't win 51 percent of the vote.

Santa Cruz civil attorney John Gallagher, Santa Clara County prosecutor Jim Sibley and San Jose City College instructor Phil Crawford have thrown their names in to replace retiring Judge Robert Atack.

All are working hard to get earn name recognition.

Crawford joked that he'll wear out the soles of his shoes walking precincts this spring. Gallagher said he canvassed apartments on Shaffer Road on Friday afternoon before attending three community events that evening.

"It's going to be busy," said Sibley, listing off campaign tasks: put up more signs, walk door-to door in precincts and run phone banks.

The judicial candidates said they are being inundated with questions about gang violence and if they will be tougher on criminals, concerns voters have especially in Santa Cruz after a teen was killed by suspected gang members on the Westside in April and anarchists rioted in downtown earlier this month.

"People are kind of single-minded right now," said Crawford, a Santa Cruz attorney and former San Jose police sergeant. "There's an awful lot of interest in gangs. ... They don't seem interested in what your qualifications are. They want to know what you're going to do about gang violence."

Gallagher said he's hearing similar worries.

"The consistent message I've received from voters of the last 18 months is a fear of violence associated with the gang problem we have," Gallagher said.

Sibley, who has painted himself as the law-and-order candidate for voters, said people are troubled by lenient punishments for criminals, including gang members.

"The big thing that they're concerned about is the system has been branded -- right or wrong -- as catch and release,'" Sibley said. "Whether that's an accurate or fair assessment, I can't really tell, but that's what people are telling me."

Downtown Santa Cruz issues really highlight who voters select for judge because who sits on the bench affects those quality-of-life concerns, according to Santa Cruz police Capt. Steve Clark, the vice president of the police management association,

The association endorsed Gallagher because he showed a willingness to listen, learn and understand those issues, Clark said.

"He has proven that ability to do that," Clark said. "I think John really understands the issues in Santa Cruz County courts."

Gallagher has been campaigning longer than any of his opponents and, as of Friday, had raised nearly $100,000, he said.

Becoming a judge has been a long-term goal of the attorney. Gallagher, a Democrat, has appealed to three governors for appointment to the local Superior Court bench. He said he "sailed through the JNE Commission process," a secretive vetting of judge applicants, but never got the call from a governor.

Gallagher is proud of the long list of endorsements he's collected during his campaign but also said the connections he's made within the community are valuable.

Watsonville Mayor Luis Alejo said Gallagher's participation in South County events moved Alejo to support the candidate.

"A candidate who month after month is there. ... I think that shows a stronger commitment," Alejo said. "I think that made him stand out for me."

In contrast to Gallagher, Sibley said he never considered becoming a judge as a career goal, "which I think is one of my better qualifications," he added.

But in the past year he was summoned to serve on the Santa Cruz Grand Jury, which exposed him to some shortcomings in the county, and his best friend died of cancer, which Sibley said caused him to re-examine his own life.

As a prosecutor over-the-hill, Sibley has handled complex assignments such as child sex cases, high-tech crime and real estate fraud, but he said he's serving a community he's not a part of and would like to devote more energy to his own county.

Sibley's boss, Santa Clara County District Attorney Dolores Carr, backs his candidacy. Carr, who served one term as a Superior Court judge before being elected D.A., said she believes Sibley's temperament will serve him well if voters select him as judge.

"I understand the need to have qualified, dedicated, terrific people on the bench, so although I think it certainly would be a loss for us, it would be Santa Cruz Superior Court's gain," Carr said. "He has a tremendous work ethic. He's very devoted to his cases."

Sibley also has been involved in a variety of community programs. He was appointed to the Salvation Army board of directors in Santa Cruz County this spring and the father of two has been a Cub Scout leader for years.

Like his opponents, Crawford also has unique life experiences that brought him to the point of running for judge. The West Cliff Drive resident was perhaps the least-known candidate when the campaign began.

But those who know him speak highly of Crawford's qualifications and commitment to the justice system.

In the early 1980s, he made an unsuccessful run for Santa Clara County sheriff because he didn't agree with the incumbent sheriff's management. Most recently, Crawford was the main architect of a grant-funded judicial studies program that launched at San Jose City College last year. In between, Crawford worked for years as a police officer, an attorney and a Contra Costa County family court administrator.

"He's like a visionary, a forward-thinker," said Ken Torre, retired CEO of the Contra Costa County Superior Court who recruited Crawford to work for him. "His career history and his pragmatic approach to everything would really be beneficial to the bench and to their service to citizens of Santa Cruz County."

The election is June 8. Vote-by-mail ballots went out Monday.

Philip J. Crawford

AGE: 64

EDUCATION: Bachelor of arts and master's degree in administration of justice from San Jose State University, Santa Clara University School of Law

BACKGROUND: Former San Jose police sergeant who worked as a court administrator in Contra Costa County for several years. He now practices law in Santa Cruz and teaches court administration at San Jose City College

FAMILY: he and his wife, Jean, a retired fair housing attorney, have two adult sons and two granddaughters, including 14-year-old Katlyn Crawford, who lives with the candidate and his wife on the Westside of Santa Cruz.

John Gallagher

AGE: 59

EDUCATION: Attended West Point and served five years as an Army Airborne Ranger infantry officer before attending Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco

BACKGROUND: Was a public defender in Santa Cruz before joining the Bosso Williams firm in 1987. He has spend the 22 years in civil and probate law covering a wide variety of legal matters and, for the past 15 years, also has been an arbitrator, mediator and settlement conference judge.

FAMILY: He and his wife, Peg, live in Scotts Valley. They have two adult daughters and an adult son.